


Jason Todd and the Truth of Old Man Graybeard

by GraySonOfGotham



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Almost Sex, Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - Small Town, English Teacher Jason, First Dates, Flirting, Fluff, Gotham is a small town in Oklahoma, Identity Porn, Implied Sexual Content, Kinda Shy Jason, M/M, Mistaken Identity, Misunderstandings, Police Officer Dick Grayson, Posse of Girls, Rumors, Semi-Public Sex, Slice of Life, Teacher/Student Roleplay, Tumblr: JayDick Flash Fanwork Challenge, creepy neighbor, jaydick_flashfic: rumors and reputations, no capes AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 07:11:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18310730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GraySonOfGotham/pseuds/GraySonOfGotham
Summary: Upon moving to the small Oklahoma town of Gotham from the busy and bustle of New York City, Jason has always thought the town was a tad strange, though the people were extremely friendly, and Jason found himself getting accustomed to small town life easily.The only issue was his neighbor - not the Trevors, but Old Man Graybeard. Old Man Graybeard was almost a legend, since no one has ever seen him, but he is there, in his creepy house, watching.Another issue with Gotham was the pretty police officer that flirts with Jason every night, but Jason was complaining about that.





	Jason Todd and the Truth of Old Man Graybeard

Jason moved to the little town of Gotham located in the splat middle of the United States in the summer of 2009. He had just gotten his teaching credentials from NYU, and was offered a position at Gotham Middle School, seeing that the last English teacher had upped and left in the middle of the night without a word.

Gotham was a strange little town in the sense that it was almost too good to be true.

Aside from the threat of tornadoes, seeing that they were located in the middle of Oklahoma, there seemed to be nothing _too_ weird about Gotham. At first glance, at least.

But it felt strange to Jason because he grew up in the big city. Town life was going to be hard to adjust to.

Jason moved into a spacious almost mansion-sized house. It was almost five times the size of his tiny apartment in New York. His sparse things barely made the house looked lived in.

The hot summer sun was beating down on him as walked out of the stuffy garage to bring in the last of the boxes.

“Hey,” someone called from across the street.

Jason shielded his eyes against the sun and squinted. There was a small group of ladies standing on the porch across the street from him, drinking lemonade and laughing.

“Come over, neighbor,” the first lady called.

Jason brought in the last couple of boxes and headed over, wiping at his sweaty forehead carelessly with his shirt. When he shirt lifted, he heard a few playful purrs.

“Hey, there,” the lady said, pressing a glass of lemonade into his hand. “You’ve been working hard. Stay a while.”

“Oh, uh, thanks,” Jason said, taking  a sip from the pink curly straw. “I’m Jason. Jason Todd.”

There were five of them in all. They went around, introducing themselves – Kori, Stephanie, Barbara, Cassandra, and Artemis.

“So, who’s my actual neighbor?” Jason asked.

“Oh, Kori lives here,” Stephanie said. She was the one who had called him over. Then, she leaned in a little. “And unlike the rest of us, she’s _single_.”

Kori, a tanned and fiery redhead, rolled her eyes. “I’m not _single_ ,” she said. “My boyfriend and I have a long-distance relationship.” Then, she nodded at Jason. “And you’re not my type,” she said. “No offense.”

Jason laughed. “No worries,” he said. “I suppose it’s safe to say that you’re not mine, either.”

The girls laughed. “So, Mr. Jason, why’d you move to Gotham?” Barbara asked.

“Oh, new job,” Jason said. “I’m supposed to replace Mrs... Hawthorne at the middle school?”

“Oooh, so you’re the new hot teacher!” Stephanie said. “My kids aren’t old enough to go there yet, but I have a niece who does…”

They talked and drank lemonade until the sun had nearly set.

“Oh dear,” Barbara said. “Is it so late already. Damn, I have to go get dinner started.”

“Why don’t we give Jason a housewarming party?” Cassandra asked with a shrug. “It’s on short notice, and we usually do it a few days after newcomers arrive, but it’s convenient. We can have a barbeque.”

Artemis nodded. “That’s not a bad idea. My husband and I were going to make burgers and throw an impromptu party in a couple of days anyway, so it wouldn’t be too much to move it to today.”

“Oh, really, ladies, that’s not necessary,” Jason said.

“Please, it’s a welcome to the neighborhood thing,” Barbara assured.

Jason laughed. “Does that mean I have to bake cookies and deliver them to my neighbors on either side of me?” he joked.

The girls did not laugh. They stared at him solemnly.

“You don’t want to do that,” Stephanie said slowly. “Well, the Trevors on your right are a sweet couple with a new baby,” she amended. “I think they’d appreciate some cookies, but, um… stay away from Old Man Graybeard.”

“Um, sorry, what?” Jason asked.

“Old Man Graybeard,” Barbara said with a small sigh. “He lives on your right. His house is over fifty years old, and it’s never been fixed up since then. We’ve… never actually _seen_ him, so we don’t know if he’s old, a man, or gray.”

“Then… where’d ‘Old Man Graybeard’ come from?” Jason asked with an eyebrow raise. “How do you know _anyone_ lives there at all?”

“Sometimes the curtains flutter, and at night, lights come on. A silhouette of a man can be seen walking through the house sometimes,” Cassandra said in a voice barely higher than a hush. “He only comes out at night. Once, Kori saw the front door close when she got up really early one morning.”

They all looked at Kori, who shrugged. “I do not think an Old Man Graybeard lives there. Perhaps it’s just a shy, old man who is afraid of being the only old person in a town on mainly young couples. I’ve been trying to get them to go say hi to him for years.”

“We went once,” Stephanie said with an annoyed look. “Did the whole cookies thing as well. We stood on his creaky porch for ten minutes, knocking the door and ringing the doorbell. No one came. And when we left, we saw the curtains whipping closed. There _is_ a plaque by the door, stating the family name, but it’s so old that everything rubbed off aside the first four letters – G-R-A-Y – hence, Old Man Graybeard.”

Jason frowned dubiously up at the old house. It _was_ rather gloomy. Painted a dull brown on the outside, its curtains were all dark colors, and its front yard was as dead as the roadkill along the deserted roads in Oklahoma.

“Oh,” he said softly.

“Yeah. I know it sounds strange and a little creepy for an outsider, but… we’re not exaggerating,” Cassandra assured. “Weird things happen around that house. You’ll see.”

~

Summer whirled by in a flash. Almost every day, Jason spent his days with people in the town. He made many friends over the course of the summer. He had met everyone – everyone except Old Man Graybeard.

On the last night of his summer vacation, before school started the next morning, Jason was standing on his balcony, overlooking his backyard. He did not bother with a shirt, and was only in his boxers. It was still stupidly hot, but there was a nice breeze, so Jason stood outside.

Naturally, his eyes drifted to the house to the right of his. The backyard was shaded with a huge tree, but from what little Jason could see, it was in the same condition as the front yard. Jason looked back to his own yard, which he had spent a good part of his summer replanting and curating to his likes with the help of Kori and occasionally Barbara.

Jason had indeed taken cookies over to the Trevors, and he had considered going to Old Man Graybeard’s, but as soon as he told Stephanie of his plan, he was shut down with a firm no.

Jason turned his head to the Graybeard house again. Like every night, there were a couple of lights on. Suddenly, a shadow passed over the shadow in the room that Jason had guessed was a bedroom. There was suddenly a loud bang, like a hundred books had fallen off a bookshelf all at once.

The lights in the room went out as Jason watched, staring shocked.

“Oh, my god,” he said hoarsely.

He could never live with himself if something happened to Old Man Graybeard, as strange and creepy the old man is. Dashing back into his house, Jason grabbed a stray bathrobe and tied it around his waist. Then, wearing only his bathrobe and slippers, he ran through Old Man Graybeard’s front gate, wincing as it creaked loudly. He went up the rotting porch and paused at the front door.

Stephanie had been right when she said it was creepy.

Jason saw the plaque that had the faint G-R-A-Y written on it. Swallowing hard, Jason knocked.

Predictably, there was no answer.

Jason gathered the courage to knock again.

He waited for a full minute, and there was still no answer.

“One more time,” Jason whispered. “Just one more.”

He raised his hand to knock one final time, just to clear his conscience.

“You know he won’t answer you, right?”

Jason nearly jumped and screamed. He whirled around to see someone standing at the gate, smirking at him. It was a young police officer, probably on night duty.

Jason pulled his robe around himself self-consciously before deciding that it was no use. He shuffled down the porch towards the gate.

“How do you know that?” Jason asked grumpily. He did not recognize the officer, but he did recognize the GCPD badge. He also recognized how pretty the young officer was under the dim streetlight.

“Oh, trust me,” the officer said. “He never answers for anyone. You could be knocking to tell him the entire town was evacuating for a tornado, and he wouldn’t bother,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. He stuck his hand over the gate. “My name’s Dick. Dick Grayson.”

Jason took Dick’s hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jason Todd.”

“Oh! The new English teacher at Gotham Middle School Jason Todd? I’ve heard lots about you.”

“Yeah,” Jason laughed. “And here I thought I could go into the new school year having met everyone in Gotham.”

Dick laughed. “Oh, I sleep during the day,” he said. “I think I’m the only officer who actually likes patrolling at night. It’s easy because nothing really goes on in Gotham during the day, let alone at night.”

Jason smiled and found himself angling himself closer to Dick. “Well, I shouldn’t be keeping you from doing your job then, officer?”

“And I shouldn’t be keeping you up on a school night,” Dick said. He took a step back and gave Jason a nod. “I like your slippers, Jason. They’re cute.”

With a tip of his hat, Dick shoved his hands into his pockets and started away, whistling to himself.

Jason flushed, looking down at his light blue fuzzy slippers that had rabbit ears on them.

He shook his head and stared after Dick. Then, he went back to his own house.

The very next morning, Jason got up bright and early, excited for his first day at work. He fixed cuffs of his white button-up again. After a few more seconds, he decided to roll them up to his elbows. Jason made himself some waffles, yogurt, and an apple. Then, he grabbed his lunch and headed for the front door. He saw a card lying on the ground by the mail slot.

Puzzled, Jason was sure that post reached his house in the afternoons, not 6 A.M. in the morning. Stooping down, Jason picked the card up and flipped it over.

There were just two words on it, written in all capital letters: _I’M OKAY :)_

Jason wondered who could have given it to him. He shoved it into his pocket and started out the door. He unlocked his car, opened the passenger’s side and put his stuff there. As he closed the door, Jason saw the curtains in Old Man Graybeard’s house shift and flutter like someone had been watching. Jason stared at it for a second.

Then, a cold chill ran down his spine.

Could that card have been from Old Man Graybeard himself? But it could not have been. How had Graybeard known that Jason went to his house to check on him? Unless he knew that Jason heard the crash… Jason quickly shut the door and went into the driver’s side. He locked the doors for good measure and sat there for a second.

He quickly pulled the card out again, reading over the words again and again. It was not the message that freaked him out. It was the smiley face at the end. Creepy Old Man Graybeard did not seem the type to put a smiley face there.

He tried to push those thoughts to the back of his head, but it was drifting around his mind all day. But overall, the first day of school was good.

After school, Kori was waiting outside on his porch.

“Hey, what’s up?” Jason asked. “Why’re you standing on my porch?”

“Oh, I’m supposed to be inconspicuously keeping an eye out for you,” she said sarcastically.

“Oh, har, har,” Jason said, pulling out his keys. “I had a great day at work, thanks for asking.”

She rolled her eyes, but she smiled. “I’m not your wife.”

He opened the door and immediately, streamers popped in his face.

People jumped out at him from all around his living, screaming, _“Surprise!”_

“Wh-What’s this?” Jason asked.

“Your _birthday_ party, _duh_ ,” Stephanie said, pressing a cup into his hand.

“Oh, no, I have school tomorrow, I can’t-” he started to say.

“It’s just beer. You’ll be fine with a few beers, Jay,” Barbara said. “Celebrate! You had to go to school on your birthday.”

Jason gave a faux exasperated sigh. “Fine,” he said, taking a sip from the cup.

Then, Stephanie grabbed Jason’s wrist and pulled him into the house. “C’mon, let’s party!”

~

It was close to eleven when everyone left. Kori stayed after to help Jason clean up. But near midnight, Jason found himself dragging an extra-large trash bag down his driveway to the trashcan.

“Should I be worried that they’re a dead body in there?”

Jason closed the lid of his trash can and looked at who spoke. It was Officer Grayson from the night before.

“Are you always around here at this time?” Jason asked.

Dick shrugged. “Maybe. Sometimes I change my patrol routes when there’s a reason to.”

“Oh? And what’s your reason for changing this time, officer?”

Dick smiled. “I was kind of hoping to see the rare phenomenon of a middle school English teacher dressed in a bathrobe and bunny slippers again.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “I’m not _embarrassed_ about that, just so you know.”

“Good!” Dick said. “Because you shouldn’t be. It’s very manly. But I see you’ve decided to dress more appropriately today.”

Jason was still in his white button-up, though he had unbuttoned a few buttons too much.

“I, uh, I had a party,” he said lamely, trying to keep himself from pulling his shirt together a bit.

Dick smiled. “On a Monday night?”

“It’s my birthday,” Jason said.

“Oh? Well, happy birthday, Jason,” Dick said.

“Thanks,” Jason said. He was still feeling a little bit buzzy from the beer. And Dick looked kind of pretty from across his trashcan. He almost said it aloud. “Oh, sorry, um, I should… go inside now,” Jason said. “I’ve got- I’ve got school… tomorrow.”

He slowly made his way around his trash can, his eyes never leaving Dick’s. The entire way up his driveway, he felt Dick’s gaze on his back. On his porch, Jason turned around, and Dick was gone.

~

And that was how it went. Jason’s days were so busy that he had forgotten about Old Man Graybeard. Instead, Jason spent his days at school, his nights by himself or with a couple of friends, and right around midnight, Jason would always find a reason to pop outside. And without fail, Officer Dick Grayson would “coincidentally” be passing by.

They would talk, sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes for ten or more. But Jason found himself growing more and more fond of the young officer. He was unsure of whether or not he should take the leap and try to get to know Dick more.

One night, Jason decided that he would.

“So, do you do this thing every night?” Jason asked.

Dick smiled and handed him the “extra” coffee he had ordered. “What thing? Coffee? No, I just felt like I needed a bit of my liquid luck today.”

“Coffee is your liquid luck?” Jason asked, taking a sip. Hazelnut and vanilla. Huh.

“Well, nothing’s ever gone wrong when I drink coffee,” Dick said, smiling at Jason.

“Well, what I meant was do you have work every night?”

“I only do Mondays through Fridays,” Dick said. “Sometimes Saturdays, but not always.”

“So… do you have work _this_ Saturday?” Jason asked, sipping his coffee.

“No, why?” Dick asked. His eyes told Jason that he already knew that Jason was insinuating, but he wanted Jason to say it.

“Well, I was wondering if you wanted to… do something… together.”

“Like what?” Dick asked, playing dumb.

“I don’t know. Coffee, dinner, drinks.”

Dick licked a drop of milky brown coffee from the corner of his sinful lips. “So… like a date?”

“Um… if- if you want?”

Dick grinned. “I’d like that, yeah.”

Jason was very much relieved. “Really? Great! I’ll, um, I’ll text you.”

Dick nodded. “Or, you know, I’ll still be taking this route tomorrow. I’ll be around here again… at eleven. You could always tell me then…?” Dick gave Jason a sexy smirk and slowly stepped backwards, holding Jason’s eyes with his own. Then, he spun on his heels and headed down the street.

The next night, they did not do much talking. They ended up in the back of Dick’s cop car, Dick on top of Jason, kissing desperately. Jason’s shirt found its way onto the floor, and Dick’s uniform was opened, missing a couple of buttons as well.

Though they were both clothed from waist down, that did not stop them from grinding down on each other, their mouths never parting for more than few seconds at a time, passing saliva and breathy moans between them.

“Oh my god, do you know how many months I’ve spent watching you walk away with that ass, Dickie?” Jason asked harshly.

“Do you know how many months I’ve watched your hands tapping against your arm or your legs or your chin, and I just wanted you to grab me and shove me against the nearest flat surface, Jay?” Dick whispered back. He rolled his hips down against Jason, and they both gasped out, so close to their respective climaxes.

“My coffee table’s probably big enough for two,” Jason groaned, his breath hot against Dick’s neck.

“Oh, god, _yes_. May- Maybe tomorrow night?”

“Yes,” Jason whispered. He bit down gently just below Dick’s jaw, making Dick whine and his hips stuttered.

At the sound of Dick coming in his pants pushed Jason over the edge as well. Dick slumped on top of Jason for a few minutes, catching his breath.

“That’s got to count as public indecency, officer,” Jason said.

“You’re a bad influence, Jay,” Dick whispered. “But… it’s not entirely your fault, I’ll admit,” he said cheekily. “And besides, you’re not the one who has to finish patrol with soiled pants.”

Jason laughed softly. “I don’t envy you. I _meant_ to come here to tell you that I was thinking we get Italian… the one just outside of town, and then we can go back to mine… or yours?”

Dick laughed hard. Jason was not sure what Dick found so funny. But Dick kissed Jason firmly on the lips before saying, “We can go back to my place,” he said. “I think it’s high time you found out where I live.”

“That’s not cryptic at all,” Jason grumbled.

Dick giggled. Then, he got off of Jason. He grabbed a few tissues from the front and did his best cleaning up. He picked up Jason’s shirt and handed it to him.

“See you tomorrow, handsome?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Dickie,” Jason said. He pulled his shirt on and buttoned a few of the buttons. Then, he got out of Dick’s car, giving him one last kiss before heading up to his house.

And as usual, when he turned around on the porch, Dick was gone.

~

Dick showed up at Jason’s house about five minutes early, a bundle of flowers in his hands. “There are for you,” he said.

Jason’s eyebrows shot up comically. He laughed. “Wait- Wait here.” He ran to the kitchen, stuck the flowers into a vase, and came running back with a different bundle of flowers. “And these are for you.”

Dick did not seem embarrassed. Instead, he was ecstatic. “Ohhh… you got me flowers. Jay… I- I’ve never gotten flowers before. They’re- They’re so pretty. Thank you so much!”

He threw his arms around Jason’s neck, and Jason could not help but blush a bit.

“You ready to go?” Jason asked.

Dick nodded, his eyes suspiciously misty. “Yeah, let’s go.”

The restaurant was a small, family-run Italian restaurant, and it was the perfect atmosphere for a date. Jason was a little bit embarrassed by how cliché it was, but Dick loved it.

He would not stop cooing about the rustic brick walls, the wood burning pizza ovens, and the cute little tables perfect for two. Jason could not help but be endeared.

They talked about anything and everything. At some point, their legs ended up tangled together under the table and neither of them bothered untangling them.

Dessert was a large slice of chocolate cake shared by the two of them. Dick told Jason a story about a friend he used to have that applied excessive amounts of lipstick, and he demonstrated with the cake frosting. It was rather ridiculous and had Jason clutching his stomach with laughter.

But as their evening drew to a close, Jason was a little bit more nervous.

“So… your place?” Jason asked.

Dick nodded, smiling. He got into the passenger’s seat of Jason’s car. “I’ll tell you where to go,” Dick promised.

Five minutes later, Jason was suspiciously close to his own house. Another minute, and he was turning onto the same street.

“Do you live on the same street as me?” Jason asked, trying to mentally remember who lived in which house.

“Yup!” Dick said. “Keep going. I’m at the end of the street.”

Jason frowned. “But I live at the end of the street.”

“I know,” Dick said teasingly. Jason slowly pulled to a stop in front of his own house. Then, Dick said. “I’m your neighbor!”

Jason stared at him for a very, _very_ long time.

“You’re- You’re Old Man Graybeard?” he choked out.

Dick laughed. “Yup.”

“Bu- Wha- I don’t- Is that-”

“C’mon, lemme show you. It’s actually my great-grandfather’s house, but my father inherited it, and then I inherited it. Given, I haven’t really gotten a chance to do much remodeling-”

“You think?” Jason choked out. “Your- Your yard is a mess! It makes me crazy staring at it!”

Dick smiled. “I know. You tell me that all the time.”

“Then why don’t you do something about it?!”

“Because you’re cute when you’re frustrated,” Dick said. “I promise it’s a lot cleaner inside,” Dick said.

Jason followed Dick next door in a daze. They made their way up the steps, and Dick pulled out a key. He stuck it into the lock and pushed the door open. True to his word, the interior of his house, while very medieval looking, was very clean and organized.

“Does- Does no one in this town know that you live here?” Jason asked.

Dick shrugged. “Um… Captain Gordon does. And you, I guess. But other than that, I guess not. Again, I work nights at the police department. Not many people know me at all.”

Dick took Jason’s hand and started leading him upstairs. The house was actually very well lit and it seemed comfortable and lived in. Dick led Jason to his bedroom, which looked similar to Jason’s bedroom – modern bed, modern dresser, modern desk, a laptop and picture frames on it.

“What were you expecting?” Dick laughed.

“For it to match the rest of your house,” Jason admitted. “I- I like it though.”

“I do have a claw bathtub,” Dick said, nodding at the master bathroom. “ _And_ , it’s really big.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Jason.

“Are you asking if I want to try out your bathtub?”

“I’m asking if you want to try out my bathtub with _me_.”

Jason started smiling. “Well, I guess we need an excuse to get dirty then.”

Dick stepped into Jason’s space in a second. “I can give you a reason, Mr. Todd,” he whispered, his hands already slipping under Jason’s shirt. “I’ve never been very diligent in school, and no one’s ever bothered punishing me for it…” he trailed off.

“Oh?” Jason breathed, his own hands settling on the swell of Dick’s ass. “How so, Dickie?”

Dick gently pushed Jason backwards until they were sprawled on top of Dick’s bed. “Well, Mr. Todd, I almost never turned in my homework, and I sat by the window watching the hot senior boys play soccer shirtless.”

Jason’s lips found Dick’s neck. “Mhm…”

“I- _ah_ , I- I talked back to- to my teachers, and- and I always fell asleep in- in English! Ah, Jay-!”

“That’s Mr. Todd to you, Dickie,” Jason growled. He flipped them over.

“Yes, yes, Mr. Todd!” Dick said, his eyes blown wide with lust and a considerable bulge in his pants. “ _Please_ , make- make me a good boy.”

Jason wasted no time getting their clothes off. They were tossed hastily aside.

“How do you-” Jason started to say.

Dick cut him off with a hot kiss, pulling Jason down back on top of him. “I want you inside me,” he said breathlessly. “Please, Mr. Todd.”

“Lube?”

“Bottom drawer,” Dick said, spreading his legs wide. “You can- You can go kinda fast. I prepped myself earlier.”

Sure enough, when Jason pressed a finger against Dick’s hole, his finger was practically sucked inside. Still he spent a minute opening Dick back up and greedily drinking in Dick’s soft whines and whimpers.

“Mr. Todd, _please_ ,” Dick said. “I- I want you.”

“I’ve got you, Dickie,” Jason assured, slipping on a condom, slicking himself up and pressing into Dick’s slick heat. They moaned simultaneously. “Oh… you’re so tight.”

“It- It happens when you don’t have a hot teacher to fuck you regularly,” Dick said. “So, please, do something, Jay, I need you so badly.”

And who was Jason to deny such a beautiful man?

~

They found themselves in Dick’s clawed bathtub twenty minutes later, and after another round where water was sloshed everywhere, they refilled the tub and just relaxed against each other.

“Next time,” Dick said sleepily. “You call me ‘Officer Grayson’.”

“Mm, and when will next time be?” Jason asked teasingly.

“Tomorrow morning?” Dick yawned. “Stay the night.”

“I live right next door to you, Dickie.”

“Too far,” Dick said, snuggling closer to Jason. “I want to know if your chest is pillow-worthy.”

Jason could not help but laugh. But he relented and stayed the night. And the next morning, he made breakfast in bed for both of them. Dick woke up closer to noon than morning, but Jason did not mind too much. Dick’s hair was sticking up on all sides, and when he rubbed his eyes, Jason found him adorable.

“So, am I pillow-worthy?”

Dick smiled tiredly. “Mmm, yeah. I might kidnap you and make you my permanent pillow.”

“Why, _officer_!” Jason said in a faux scandalized voice.

Dick laughed and made grabby hands at the tray of food. They ate, went another round, and it was late afternoon by the time they hopped in the shower again.

Jason got dressed afterwards though. “I’ve got to go,” he said apologetically.

Dick pouted in bed.

“I’ve got over fifty tests to grade,” he said. “But I’ll be thinking of you,” he promised.

“It’s not the same. Bring your tests over and grade them here.”

“You’re going to distract me,” Jason said. “I’ll text you when I’m done though. And maybe you can pop over for some late night coffee?”

Dick smiled and nodded. “Okay,” he said.

Jason collected his jacket, gave Dick one last, long, steamy kiss before seeing himself out. The sun was bright for December, and Jason found that Dick’s yard no longer looked creepy. It was just overgrown and dead.

Jason stared at dead hedges for a second, then he smiled. He would work on Dick’s yard next summer.

Jason turned around to look up at the house, and he saw the curtains being pulled back into place. Jason laughed and shook his head. He headed back to his own house, got changed, and settled down with his tests.

He had barely marked up the first test when his doorbell rang.

Frowning, he headed to the door. He opened his door to Kori and Barbara.

“Huh? What are you guys doing here?” he asked.

“Kori saw you coming out of Old Man Graybeard’s house,” Barbara said. “Is it true?”

“Uh… maybe?”

“So- So you saw him?” Kori asked. “What is he like? He is a kind old man, like I suspected, wasn’t he?”

Jason laughed. “Actually, he wasn’t an old man at all.”

“Oh. Then… who was he?”

Jason waved them in, poured them some tea and allowed them to settle down on his couch. “Funny story. It started a few months back actually, the night before school started…”

**Author's Note:**

> I got really sick of studying, so I wrote this in like two hours. Hope you guys like it. Originally, it started out with the idea that there were rumors that Jason's strange neighbor did everything naked from a misunderstanding after Dick was kicked out of his own house naked by a crazy girlfriend several years ago or smth. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
